Just For Three
by thunder sister
Summary: And together they made three points of a triangle. riku x yuffie x sora UPDATE: Chapter 13 up! 02/28/13
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue.

Author's Note: It's been too long since I've done any creative writing so you'll have to forgive my rustiness.

Just for Three

1. Prologue

If someone had asked them before they met if they were happy, they'd say, "Yes" with a little bit of thought, and maybe some hesitation. Children don't answer with seriousness too often, but they knew a somber question when they heard one. Adult voices ring with the clichéd "Think before you speak."

Now that they've met and befriended and loved, they'd answer "Yes" without a moments hesitation, the entire light of the sun glowing from their smiles.


	2. Parents

2. Parents

When Sora's mother opened the door, Sora hid behind her skirt, peeking from the floral print. Across the threshold stood another little boy, perhaps a year or two older than he, hiding behind his own mother's dress.

With gentle prods on their backs, Sora and the other boy, who later became known as Riku, greeted each other with stiff reluctance. As the bonds between their mothers deepened, so did the bonds between Sora and Riku. Both found it a great comfort that the other had no father.

Years later, they met the Great Ninja Yuffie. It wasn't her official title but Sora and Riku found it in their hearts to humor her.

"Where are your parents?" Sora asked one day.

Yuffie stopped tossing her giant shuriken in the air. A moment of awkward silence passed before she answered softly," They're gone."

"Why-" Sora started.

Riku slapped him on the back of his head. "Stupid boy," he muttered.

Yuffie's eyes glazed over. Nostalgia or sadness, neither boy could tell which clouded over her so they simply settled on hugging her from both sides.

"Sorry, Yuffs," Sora whispered apologetically. He shared a look wit Riku. "But if it makes you feel better-"

They both said, "-you could share our parents."


	3. Childhood

3. Childhood

Sora and Riku laid back in the sand, hands cushioning their heads. The wide reach of the palm trees cast a patterned shadow over them. A cool breeze from the clear ocean wafted along the shore, ruffling the loose strands of their hair.

They recalled the days when it was just the two of them. They were inseparable: partners in crime, the dynamic duo, the best of friends. If you saw Sora sneak a cookie before dinnertime, it was Riku's idea. If you saw Riku raiding the fridge at night, it was Sora's idea.

The first to find a way between the two was a girl named Kairi. A sweet and gentle girl. She balanced the boys by adding her girlish traits into the pool. For any trouble they went through, Kairi would get them out, a little scolding afterwards. For any sugary substances snuck out of the midnight cabinet, Kairi put them back. She had always played the role of "mother" to them and it was apparent wherever they went.

Their friendship took root in childhood and grew towards adolescence. Everyone thought Kairi had finally made her place as the last corner of the triangle.

They were wrong.

Like all children, there must be a time for growing up. Kairi's interests, like most girls' in the blooming age, strayed elsewhere, away from the path the boys have taken. Words like forever, or love, or destiny suddenly became the only words she could say. That was fine. It was normal wasn't it? The boys can tolerate a little bit osf distraction.

Then Kairi's concerns wandered to a place neither Sora and Riku liked. She wanted to choose. That was her mistake.

"Two," she said. " It could only work with two."

It hurt, the way she played them like that. To think that she would be satisfied in keeping the both them, that was their mistake. They thought she'd be different. They thought that all the time they've spent as children, as teens, she'd be satisfied with keeping their trio. They thought that she wasn't one of "them", one of those that solely believed in even numbers. They cut her off. Choosing was not allowed. And so, a childhood friend was lost; an empty space to gather dust.

"Hey! What're you two doing?"

The lounging boys let out an exhaled, "Oof!" as a dark-haired girl jumped and draped herself across their stomachs.

"Nothing," they said, once they regained their breath.

She murmured an unintelligible response as she maneuvered her body parallel in the gap between them. She snuggled in perfectly. She grabbed their hands from either side of her and placed them on the smooth skin of her exposed stomach. The numerous fingers arranged themselves in the complex pattern known only to the three.

She let out a contented sigh.

Riku turned his head to the right. "Yuffie…"

Sora turned his head to the left. "What are you thinking about?"

Yuffie squinted up at the slivers of bright sky showing through the slits in the palm leaves. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" She shook a bit with the attempt to hold in her grin, wanting to look cool and composed, but her smile was so big that the skin under her eyes crinkled.

The corners of the boys' mouths twitched upward in turn. Their fingers tightened the puzzle they made on Yuffie's abdomen.

Too violent, too loud, too Yuffie. She embodied the very opposite of Kairi. Nobody could even imagine her develop a friendship with the two, much less anything more than that. But they didn't know. And probably never did.

Yuffie was brash. Reckless. Boyish. She got into fights with them of course. She got into trouble with them of course. But one thing that made her so much more than Kairi was that she understood.

She knew friendship. She knew love. She knew how delicate the boundary was between the two. And yet, she knew exactly how to combine them. And together they made three points of a triangle. Just like them.

Yuffie may not have been from their childhood, but she was more. She was from their present and their future and beyond.


	4. Oranges

4. Oranges

Everyday, Yuffie picked a random object to bestow all of her attention and imagination on. Riku and Sora loved that about her. Something new. Something spontaneous. Something fun. Like when the object was one of their boxers or the can of whipped cream they bought yesterday. Other days, they hated that about her. Like when the object was Leon or "the cute bag boy" at the grocery store.

Today's object is an orange. Or oranges to be more specific.

Riku walked down the sidewalk, several plastic bags filled with oranges in each hand. The heavy rays of the sun beat down on his head. Sweat trickled down the side of his face. It was only noon but Yuffie had already used up their entire orange stock.

That morning, Riku woke up late, an hour or so before twelve o' clock. He stepped into the kitchen to find Sora sitting at the counter and Yuffie tending to the stove. Sora looked to be devouring his breakfast. Yuffie was facing a convenient angle to ignore his (lack of) table manners.

Riku near the counter. A meticulously arranged meal lay waiting for him. His heart gave a small flutter at the sight. Yuffie always made the effort to keep the her attention even between Sora and him.

But there seemed to be a running theme in his gorgeous breakfast. A glass of orange juice. A platter of waffle sticks next to a jar of orange marmalade. A plate of omelet rice with a small bowl or orange sauce.

Riku raised an eyebrow. Oranges…?

Yuffie turned off the stove and put the pot she was boiling on one of the cooler unused squares. She turned and her eye's lit up as she took in Riku's form.

"Riku! Good morning!" she greeted cheerily. Hands on the smooth surface of the counter, Yuffie leaned towards him. Riku did the same and met her in the middle. His lips pursed as he tasted the orange in her mouth. Oranges were sour.

"Mornin', Riku," came a voice to his right. The loud smack of a wet kiss rang out as Sora smooched him on the cheek. They stayed like that for a while. Moments like this were too precious to let pass by in a fleeting moment.

They separated and returned to their previous positions. Sora resumed inhaling his food while Yuffie contented herself with just watching over Riku.

Riku sensed that she was waiting for feedback on her cooking and sat on the high chair to commence his eating. He tipped some marmalade on one of the waffles and put it in his mouth obediently. It was surprisingly tasty.

The astonishment must have shown on his face because she squealed happily, leaned in to kiss him and ran around to another part of the house.

Once he was finished eating (and washing the dishes), Riku ventured into the living room. His lack of surprise at the sight made him think of just how long he's been with the two. Yuffie and Sora lay sprawled on the floor surrounded by bushels of oranges. Riku didn't even know it was possible to do some of the things they were doing. Permanent markers, cardboard, glue, and oranges peels made (amazingly) accurate maps. Two lumpy bags of oranges stuffed in Sora's shirt served as makeshift breasts. Two handfuls of oranges under Yuffie's tank top made her look like she was pregnant with a mutant.

"Hey, Riku!" Yuffie waved at him. " Look, I'm entering my third trimester!"

"And I'll be breastfeeding!" Sora interjected. They glanced at Riku's expression and burst out laughing.

Riku shook his head at their antics. "You guys are too weird."

Sora cried in mock offense, "I resent that!"

Yuffie pointed at Riku and commanded," For that insult, you are to venture to the store and replenish our supple of oranges!"

"Fine, fine." He held his hands up in defeat.

And that's how he ended up walking to their house with plastic bags full of oranges. As he made his way up the stairs, a thought occurred to him. Didn't Aerith and Leon give them a massive amount, crates full, of oranges just last week? Riku calculated in his head. Even all that food, and all those maps, Yuffie couldn't have possibly finished all those oranges.

The plastic bags he was carrying dropped to the floor with a thump, some escaped oranges rolled down the steps. Riku scrambled for his keys and opened the door. Rushing in, he spied them in a position he knew too well.

"Hey!" he yelled in outrage," You started without me!"

--

AN: So these are the first four of my Riku/Yuffie/Sora 100themes. Please tell me what you think!


	5. Vandalism

Author's Note: I humbly thank everyone who has read this. Thank you oXLikensXo for reviewing. And thank you mikkitheninja for putting this story on your alerts.

--

5. Vandalism

The red rays of the setting sun cast an ambient light inside the empty classroom. Desks and chairs lay strewn about in haphazard positions. Papers scattered about gathered dirt from the floor. Crudely written profanities stay dusted on the chalkboard as chalk and erasers huddled in a crushed pile in the corner. The bloody hue of the light gave the scene the feeling of a battlefield.

The door slid open. Two boys took no more than a couple of steps before their mouths hung open in shock.

The spiky-haired brunette spoke up first. "Riku…We know that Yuffie gets violent. But this? It was hard to believe Kairi at first, but not that we've seen this…"

Silver hair swayed back and forth as the other boy shook his head. "We know Yuffie. She'd never do something this without a reason."

They both sighed. Something was terribly bothering their Yuffie. One quick glance at each other.

"The roof," they said.

Riku and Sora sped their way up the stairwell to the door that led them to the roof. As they predicted, they found Yuffie, facing the edge where she got a sweeping panoramic view of the school grounds. They walked carefully towards her, taking their usual spot by her side.

Her frown was deep. Her brows furrowed into an angry line. Her eyes narrowed, glaring menacingly in the distance. All were definite warning signs.

"Yuffie…."

"Why?"

She crossed her arms and remained silent.

Riku and Sora tried again.

"Kairi was-"

"Kairi said-"

"Kairi!" The name dripped from her lips like poison. They caught a glimpse of hurt in her eyes as she turned and rushed away from them. So that's what's been bothering her.

They searched the empty school for Yuffie, having lost her whereabouts. Footsteps echoed as they ran laps up and down the hallways. Finally they found a trail of scratches and cracks and footprints in the walls. They followed, wondering vaguely if she will get caught vandalism. They heard muffled sobs coming from the janitor's closet. Another look between each other.

Riku pushed the door slightly open, the line of light revealing Yuffie huddled in the corner. Their eyes softened as they saw her shaking form.

"What," Sora spoke softly," did she say to you?"

"What makes you think she said anything to me?" she snapped, voice cracking.

The two boys widened the doorway as they walked up to her and went on their knees. They stroked her hair and rubbed her arms. It seemed to work for she finally looked up at them. They felt their hearts sink at the her glistening eyes.

Riku repeated the question. "What did Kairi say to you?"

Yuffie hiccupped. "She-she said that I'm only a replacement for you guys… And that I'll never be able to take her place." More tears slipped down her cheeks. "I'm not worthy enough to be with you."

Anger filled them. Kairi had been their childhood friend, but a fatal mistake ruined their three-way friendship. Could this be revenge for finding love before she did?

Sora took one of her hands and spread it open over his chest. The rapid thuds of his beating heart bolted through her arm and into her own. "Feel that?" he asked. "This is from when we saw you crying."

Riku mimicked his motion but instead put Yuffie's fingers to the sweat dotting his brow. "This is from when we ran looking for you."

Yuffie stayed silent as she registered what they said. Her eyes watered, for a different reason this time, and smiled. She wrapped her arms around both their necks, letting out a hiccupped laugh. They chuckled in turn, glad to lighten her mood.


	6. Carnival

6. Carnival

Sora never had any good memories of the carnival. When he was five, he fell in the shallow pond where people caught their own goldfish in exchange for a couple of quarters. His parents assured him that it wasn't that bad, but the unspoken knowledge of peeing with the "fishies" haunted his mind. When he was twelve, he was on a date with the girl of his dreams: Kairi. All went smoothly until a devious ketchup packet decided to vomit on his shirt. When he was seventeen, and thoroughly dumped by Kairi, he made the mistake of trying to heal his broken heart at the setting of their first date. A little kid gloriously crashed into him and the healing ice cream fell to the ground, much to his slow-motion agony. Sora hated the carnival.

It may be why he was scowling up a storm as Riku and Yuffie dragged him to the his place of dread.

They sat on the picnic blanket, eating their overpriced hot dogs. Sora's fingers shook as he slowly opened a ketchup sachet. His caution was in vain. The tomato slime squirted over the lower half of his face.

"This is why I hate carnivals…" Sora muttered angrily.

Riku leaned over and licked the ketchup off his cheek and chin before going back to take a bite out of his hot dog. Yuffie leaned in too, tongue flicking out to capture the red on his lips. She got a napkin and wiped off the residue left by her and Riku.

They flashed him a quick smile and returned to their food as if nothing happened.

Okay, so maybe carnivals weren't so bad.


	7. Juice Box

7. Juice Box

Riku and Sora found it strange that Kairi asked to speak with Yuffie. Kairi wasn't the biggest supporter of their unusual relationship but she wasn't one of the more aggressive enemies either.

Yuffie plopped down on the field of grass. Kairi came up behind her with two juice cartons in hand. She held out one.

Yuffie narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the offering before accepting it. She carelessly threw the plastic behind her and stabbed the foil at the top. She didn't trust her. She couldn't trust her.

Kairi stayed standing. "You know that I don't like you," she started. Yuffie's eyes narrowed even further. "But I care for Sora and Riku. A lot more than you can imagine."

Yuffie bolted up. "You-"

Kairi held up her hand. "Let me finish. Even though our friendship is severed, I still care for them very much. They don't seem like it, but they're very sensitive boys and get hurt very easily. So please…" She bowed deeply. "Take care of them."

An unnamed glint sparkled in Yuffie's eyes. "I swear on-"

"Don't swear on your life. I don't care for it," Kairi interjected briskly.

Yuffie looked deterred for a moment. She held up her now empty juice box. "Then I swear on this juice box that I won't hurt them."

Kairi seemed satisfied at that. "Good. As long as you know what's up." She walked away from Yuffie towards the school building. Her business was done.

Yuffie merely stared at her back, making sure Kairi never turned around. Smiling wickedly, she crushed the juice box in her hand. The remaining droplets slid across her fingers and fell to the ground. "Sucker."

--

&shrugs. I don't know. Make what you will.


	8. Pepperjack

8. Pepper Jack

They should have known that something was wrong when Yuffie started bringing blueberry bagel sandwiches with pepper jack cheese for lunch. Yuffie only ate mismatched foods when she felt terrible.

She, Riku, and Sora attempted a three-way relationship just a few months ago. They were the best of friends whom simply had romantic inclinations towards one another. All three of them came clean at the exact same time. They laughed it off. Sheer honesty made their friendship work.

And so, Yuffie, Riku, and Sora got together. It seemed wonderful and perfect at first. The fact that they had such staunch faith in each other became the foundation of their experiment.

Then Yuffie started noticing certain things. Riku would text Sora and have him relay the message rather than text Yuffie himself. Sora would greet Riku with a long, deep kiss and Yuffie with a mere peck on the cheek. The hugs between Sora and Riku were longer and tighter than the ones Yuffie had with either of the two. Yuffie noticed these kinds of things.

She loved them both dearly. She really did. So Yuffie found the strength to pull back from the triangle and push her boys together. They were surprised by her actions but didn't vehemently object to it.

"We're sorry! We're sorry!" They'd apologize profusely. Bows, gifts, and food were offered as consolation, and she waved them all away like smoke.

"Stop it, you guys. It's all cool," she'd lie to them without the blink of an eye. "If you guys are happy, then I'm happy too." Since when has she been able to lie to her friends so naturally?

"We're sorry!" They exclaimed. They each held one of her hands and said," We promise that this won't change how we feel about you. We both still love you very much."

"Aww! You guys are too much!" She cooed and squeezed them fiercely. Deep down in the pit of her heart, she felt that they were lying too.

And Yuffie was right. They lied. Things did change, albeit so gradually hardly anybody noticed.

The calls became occasional and then didn't come at all. They'd walk behind Yuffie to the cafeteria, stuck in their own parallel universe. And then they wouldn't be behind her. A quick "Hello" or "Yo" in the morning turned into nothing at all. Yuffie wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

She spoke to Kairi about the unfamiliar ache in her heart. "It's not that I want to be more important than their other. It's just that I still want to be precious to them." She murmured so softly, one would think it wasn't Yuffie speaking at all.

Kairi heard it all the same. "They have each other now. You can't expect them to bother with you when they have someone better to be with." Kairi said this with such conviction (and a slight condescending tone), Yuffie felt that she just missed on an obvious, universal truth.

"And that's that."

Yuffie gave a nonchalant shrug and took a big bite out of her pepper jack blueberry bagel sandwich, this time with honey mustard in it.

There was a new feeling in her chest, something empty, as if a heavy burden lifted and left her with no other purpose. The two most important people in her life were content without her. She went from lover to friend to acquaintance… to nothing. It was a bitter pill, but Yuffie swallowed it with grace. It wouldn't do to live in denial. She took one step forward, looked up at the sky, and felt gravity pulled her down. The screams of shock from down below danced like music in her ears.

Yuffie Kisaragi was no more… if she were anything at all to begin with.

End

--

I feel that I may leave some people unsatisfied with the way I ended this chapter but rest assured that I have another (much lighter) chapter to soothe the heartaches. Reviews much appreciated.


	9. Locust

9. Locust

Yuffie panted with the exertion it took to lug around the massive sacks of fertilizer behind her. It didn't cross her mind to use the wagon of potted plants that had enough room for the bags.

"Hey, Yuffie!" called her next-door neighbor Kairi. "Need some help, sweetie?"

"No thanks. I'm perfectly fine, _darling_," she stressed the nickname sarcastically.

"Really? If you're sure then." The door shut close.

Steam whistled out of Yuffie's ears. Ooh, how she hated that woman!

Sora, Riku, and Yuffie just moved in to the high-class gated community. Riku was one of the head chairmen in the states' government office while Sora worked as a freelance graphic designer with an entire club of loyal customers. Together, their income was enough to pay off the house in two years. Yuffie used to be a hitman -er, woman-. When they lived downtown for the first half decade of their relationship, Yuffie brought in all the money working for all the top crime syndicates. At the ripe age of twenty-five, she decided to retire to live a peaceful life with her lovers.

It's only been a month since the change of environment and Yuffie's already bored stiff. Who knew playing housewife was so dull?

"And I'm still hopelessly satisfied with Sora and Riku," she mumbled breathlessly, almost reaching the front door," so cheating and having sexy gardeners would be out of the question."

She thought back on how she met Kairi. They spent an entire week unpacking boxes and decorating everything. From Riku's home office to Yuffie's weapons collection (the part of the house that no guest will ever get to see). They were dead tired. The doorbell rang. Yuffie hopped up to answer the door and was greeted with a first glimpse of the woman who would become her sworn enemy.

Armed with a pie and a pot of flowers in hand, the redhead greeted sweetly, "Hi! Welcome to the Destiny Islands Committee!" She graciously handed the offerings to Yuffie (more like dropped them in her arms) and held them out her hand to Riku and Sora. "I'm Kairi, your next door neighbor."

The startled three shared a look between them. Sora was the firs to -hesitantly- shake her hand and then Riku did the same. There was something off with this woman. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sora." "And I'm Riku."

"Why, I'm certainly lucky to have such handsome neighbors," she giggled.

"I'm Yuffie!" the dark-haired woman piped up. She closed the door with her foot and settled the gifts on a nearby table.

Kairi went on as if she didn't hear a thing. "you two fine gentlemen must be happily married, huh?" She pointed to the rings shining conspicuously on their fingers.

Sora and Riku started feeling uncomfortable and were pretty sure Yuffie was ready to blow this lady's brains out. Lucky for Kairi, they foolishly made Yuffie promise to never kill again.

"Yes, actually..." Riku held out a hand to Yuffie and she took it gratefully, sitting in the space between him and Sora," We're both happily married to Yuffie."

A pregnant pause passed as Kairi slowly took in their words. "Excuse me?" She chuckled nervously.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, it's just that I thought you said you were both married to- to-"

"To Yuffie? Yes, we are."

Kairi stood up, still laughing. "You guys are such jokers! Even though polyandry is no joke, it was funny nonetheless. Well, my husband should be coming home soon so I must go prepare dinner. Buh-bye now!" She exited, leaving the trio in an awkward silence.

The next couple of days after the strange visit were spent walking on eggshells for Yuffie. While her men were out on business, she had to tolerate Kairi intruding on her boredom and criticizing every aspect of her character. "To encourage community bonds," the ditzy housewife said.

"Look at all this dust! I do hope Sora and Riku don't develop allergies. My home, however, is spotless."

"Such revealing clothing. I wonder if they ever think you're trying to garner someone else's attention. If it were me, I'd be happily devoted to two such eligible men."

"This macaroni au gratin is positively petrifying. One could kill a horse with a plate of this. How do Riku and Sora ever put up with lack of ability?"

Yuffie regretted not sprinkling arsenic onto that macaroni.

Kairi basically boasted that she outshone Yuffie as a housewife and that she'd be better suited for Riku and Sora any day. Yuffie, being Yuffie, took this as a personal challenge.

Which explains why Yuffie dumped all the newly bought gardening materials in the backyard. The potted plants were placed on one side and tools on the other. She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed her arsenal.

"Oh, crap," Yuffie realized," I don't know one lick about gardening." She was about to enter her pity tirade when she heard a deep fluttering from the ground.

A small, greenish-brown insect thumped its wings against its exoskeleton, making a constant beat.

"Aww, hey guy," Yuffie smiled indulgently, picking up the tiny bug," You better get out of the way. I'm gonna start beautifying this yard." She put it on the ledge of a nearby wall. Looking at her materials, she changed her mind, deciding to postpone her landscape project. Turning to the bug, "Oops. I lied, sorry!"

A week passed by and the yard remained barren. The plants thrived, though, sitting in the living room under the sun. Yuffie made sure not to neglect the plants like she did her gardening plan.

Riku and Sora lazed about on the couch, heads on Yuffie's lap. She played with their hair, amusing herself in their differences. It took a while to get used to the change but they truly accustomed themselves to domestic bliss.

A high-pitched scream sounded through the peaceful silence. Immediately identifying it as their neighbor, the trio rushed out of the house and rushed next door. They found Kairi sobbing in the arms of her -still unnamed- husband.

"My garden! My garden!" Kairi screeched.

Riku, Sora, and Yuffie stepped to the wide window, eyes widening at the wasteland. "What happened?"

Kairi continued screaming. "Locusts! damn locusts! I thought they were just a myth!"

A flashback of a green bug entered Yuffie's mind. "Oops."

--

&ducks tomatoes. Ok, don't kill me. D: I just separated the themes into separate chapters instead of waiting for every four. This way, I can update faster. &smile. Hope you like!


	10. Ignorant

10. Ignorant

Roxas was not a jealous person. He honestly felt happy for Namine when she won first place in an art contest while he left with second. He gracefully allowed Axel the praise and glory for their joint science project when he did all the work. He didn't feel one shred of envy when big brother Demyx received Mom and Dad's attention for the same grades he himself got. So why did he feel a bitter pang whenever he saw the happy trio?

The threesome paid their price for the love they shared. Riku lost all respect and influence on the football team and received a lifetime as a benchwarmer. Sora had been given unusual, and sometimes dangerous, objects in his locker. He started using Yuffie's the day smoke started seething through the gaps. Yuffie was suspended for two weeks for allegedly pushing a girl down the stairs. It was a lie, of course, and everyone knew it. The girl rolled down the steps intentionally, but what teacher in their right mind would ever believe Yuffie, the pinnacle of promiscuity?

Perhaps it was the way they accepted it. Perhaps it was the way Riku enjoyed lounging on the bench. Playing the dutiful water boy. Doing pushups in his free time. Joining in the spectators in a yelling match. Perhaps it was the way Sora loved decorating Yuffie's locker. Putting up the macaroni art he made in class. Placing silly message magnets next to her mirror. Organizing their books from size to color to subject. Perhaps it was the way Yuffie spent her social isolation with her other thirds. Rotating food trays so everyone got what they wanted from each lunch combo. Playing hooky to get an afternoon cuddle/nap. Exchanging notes so that the afternoon wasn't also spent failing class.

As if they were stupid. As if they were ignorant. As if they weren't aware of what people thought of them.

Roxas shook his head. He shouldn't care. He didn't care. Walking away from the sight of them sharing whispered secrets to each other, he ignored the foreign ache in his chest. Roxas was not a jealous person.


	11. Ego

11. Ego

One shouldn't judge someone by using only a single aspect of their personality.

An example could be Squall Leonhart; he prefers to be called "Leon". It was widely accepted that Squ-Leon didn't care about people. Leon didn't care what you did so long it was done away from him. As a matter of fact, Leon didn't care much about anything, except what you called him. So it surprised everyone when he reacted angrily to Yuffie's new loves.

Another example could be Yuffie Kisaragi. It was widely accepted that Yuffie had the biggest crush the world has ever seen on Leon. He was the first person she greeted in the morning. He was the last person she called to say goodbye. She popped up at his class, though they were in different grades. She followed him everywhere and bothered him for everything. So when she announced her relationship to the school's inseparable partners-in-pranks, everyone just about dropped dead.

Needless to say, Leon did not take it well.

People stared at the duo waiting outside the classroom. The rumors were true after all. Yuffie bounced out, whistling a merry tune.

"Hey, babe," they called out, reaching out to grab her wrists.

The petite girl gave a yelp and immediately flinched her hands away from them. Sora and Riku looked at her alarm. They each gingerly examined her wrists, a silent tension growing as they spied the bluish-yellow tints in her skin.

Noticing their dark stares, Yuffie remained nonchalant about the bruise. "Squallie just wanted to have a little chat." She held their hands and led them down the hall. "Guess he doesn't know his own strength. No biggie." Her hair danced as she skipped cheerfully, a trail of bruises disappearing down into in her shirt. Who knows how many more injuries there are.

Sora and Riku shared a quick look. They wanted nothing more than to yell, shout, and hunt Leon down, but Yuffie would no doubt disapprove. They wisely shut their mouths and let their feminine counterpart distract them with her giddy ramblings.

That evening, Leon walked down the empty school grounds. He stayed behind the other football players, intent on releasing every last bit of his anger on the team's tackle dummies. No one was about to stop him. After putting away the last of the abused equipment, Leon went to the showers to cool off.

"What the hell are you thinking, Leonhart?" he sighed to himself. His fisted hand beat on the wall in frustration. The rushing water hailed down in strumming sounds o the tile floor and Leon's sculpted body. Steam flooded the room in an opaque mist and veiled the mirrors in a humid cover.

Leon was too preoccupied in his thoughts to notice the subtle footsteps tapped closer to his being.

"Don't tell me…" His eyes widened in realization. "…that I'm in love with her."

"But that's no excuse," came a playful, scolding voice from behind him.

"Wha-" Leon ducked, as was his first instinct. Glass shards fell upon his head as the ear-splitting shatter of a mirror sounded through the emptiness.

Leon looked up to see two figures stand before him, twin Cheshire grins on their jovial faces.

"-ello, Squallie," one of them said in a sing-song tune.

Leon opened his mouth to speak before a baseball bat lightly plopped down his shoulder. A menacing chill ran down his spine. The bat barely touched him, but the implication was still there.

The figures shook their heads at him in mocking disapproval. "Tsk, tsk, Squallie. Don't be so conceited. You really shouldn't expect someone as wonderful as Yuffie to keep chasing you forever." The bat swung back and forth in front of him like a pendulum. Leon swallowed the bile threatening to burst from his throat. The swinging bat reminded him too much of a golf club and a piñata stick, both not too good prospects.

They never lost their airy mood. "And unlike you, we'd never hurt her."

"You-" was Leon's last word. Another crack in the silence.

The next morning Yuffie walked up to the school to find caution tape and police cars wrapped around the premises. Cops stopped passing students, apparently interrogating them about some kind of incident.

Riku and Sora came up and took their designated spots at Yuffie's sides. "What's going on?" they asked.

The dark-haired girl shrugged her shoulders and hooked elbows with her two favorite boys. "Dunno." Her eyes lit up. "Oh, by the way, thanks you guys for the surprise take-out dinner last night. It was awesome." Yuffie went on the balls of her feet and kissed them both on the cheek. "What's the occasion?"

"We just did the most gratifying prank last night," piped up Sora. "We were in the happiest mood."

"But we need no reason to dote on you," Riku interjected sweetly. He kissed her deeply as Sora reached down to unbutton her shorts.

"Hey, you kids! School's just started!" yelled an elderly teacher. "Get to class!"

Yuffie has the grace to look sheepish while Sora and Riku glared half-heartedly at the balding man.

A stout police officer wobbled in front of the trio. "Do you know a Leon Leonhart?"

Sora and Riku were about to shake their heads when Yuffie nodded vigorously. "Yes! I do! What happened?!"

The officer seemed uncomfortable. "Well, it seems that Mister Leonhart slipped in the boys' shower room after football practice and hit his head on a mirror. We suspect foul play but all evidence points to an accident." He glanced at the two boys. "Do you know of anyone that might have had a grudge against him?"

Yuffie didn't answer. Her eyes misty and lip quivering. The other two shared an unseen smile. "No, sire. No one."

--

Please don't harass me. I actually liked this theme.


	12. Boys

12. Boys

Yuffie slowly opened her eyes, vision a bit hazy from sleep. She reached up at the ceiling to stretch and felt two familiar pairs of arms circle about her waist. Her legs shrugged in the mess of tangled limbs.

"Nngh… Go back to sleep," came a murmured voice from her side. Yuffie quirked a grin and obeyed the voice happily.

The next time Yuffie opened her eyes, two jolly little bundles of energy bounced up to her and assaulted her ears.

"Mommy! good morning!" "Morning! Morning!"

She groaned with slight irritation, pulling the covers over her head. Then came the poking.

"Mommy, it's Saturday!" Poke.

"Daddy made breakfast!" Poke.

"Pancakes are yummy!" Poke some more.

"Wake up, Mommy!" More pokes.

Yuffie sat up suddenly, sending the hyperactive children on the other side of the bed. The two boys went quiet; their mother was a frightful sight to behold. A bird's nest tangled on her head. Eyes rimmed with a bloody line. Face pale with fatigue. She opened her mouth to speak. The boys held their breath in a scared sort of anticipation. "...there's pancakes?"

The coast was clear. The boys broke into twin grins and raced each other to the adjacent bathroom. Yuffie gave a motherly smile at their silly behavior and stood to stretch. They returned with a toothbrush (pink with hearts drawn on the handle) ready with toothpaste. She ruffled their hair playfully and they swatted her hand away in the same fashion. They giggled and ran off. Probably to resume their breakfast if they hadn't finished it already.

Much to her delightful surprise, Yuffie discovered an intimidating stack of pancakes waiting for her at her spot at the dining table. She dove in for the kill, missing her amused audience.

Riku and Sora smiled at their ravenous other, bouncing their rambunctious rugrats on their knees. A brunette boy with gray eyes on Riku's. A silver-haired one with sea-foam eyes on Sora's. Neither man nor boy showed any preference for another.

"Mommy eats funny", observed the silver-haired boy.

"Do all girls eat like that?" wondered the brunette. Riku gave a twinkling smile and blew a raspberry into the boy's cheek. The child shrieked with laughter.

Riku whispered, loud enough fro Sora and other boy to hear," No way. Only your mommy, because she's so special." Sora smirked at him, the silver-haired one looking at his mother with fascination. Yuffie continued gorging herself, still oblivious to her watchers.

The next Monday, Yuffie stayed at home. It seems that she contracted the dreaded common cold. She walked about the house in a blanket cocoon, sneezing and coughing along the way. Sora and Riku took the day off as well (with Yuffie's aggressive protests), and they trailed behind her, spraying disinfectant all over the place. Normally they would let things be and get sick themselves so as to spend the day suffering together, but they had little ones now. Priorities shifted to keep balance.

In the afternoon, the men worked the kitchen to prepare dinner while Yuffie snuggled in the inviting seats of the living room sofa. She was about to doze off into slumber when the front door burst open and her two sons rushed in. After spying their mother on the couch, they jumped into her lap and clutched at her blanket, backpacks and jackets left abandoned on the floor.

Yuffie sensed something troubling her little ones and opened her arms to wrap them in her quilt-y covering. Riku and Sora silently picked up the neglected items and nodded to Yuffie. A silent understanding passed between the three. Motherly instincts took charge.

"Kazuo…Soujiro…" she whispered protectively. They looked up at her with big, bright eyes, letting soft fingers brush their hair out of their faces. "What happened?"

"Is it true that Daddy Riku's not my real Daddy?" whimpered Kazuo at the same time Soujiro asked," Is it true that Daddy Sora's not my real Daddy?"

"Who told you that pile of garbage?"

"The other kids. And one teacher said that we can only have one Daddy."

Yuffie frowned at that. She held them closer and posed a question of her own. What is a Daddy?"

The two boys stopped at the unexpected question. They looked at the ceiling in thought, Kazuo pursing his lips as Soujiro puckered his. They may look like their biological father but they inherited their mannerisms from their other one.

"A Daddy is…"

"Someone who cooks good food…"

"…who plays with us…"

"…tells bedtime stories…"

"…and loves us lots."

Yuffie couldn't stop herself from beaming in pride. She kissed them full-heartedly on the cheek. "See? So they _are_ your real Daddies. When other kids make fun of you, don't mind them. They're just jealous because they only have one or no Daddy at all." She grinned at them conspiratorially. "And the next time that teacher says you can only have one Daddy, tell them that your Mommy said to shove a pole up their ass."

"So tell the teacher, 'Mommy said to shove a pole up your ass'?"

"Exactly. The boys giggled, happy to have such a loving mother who also taught them new words. She commenced tickling their sides, and they roared with laughter.

Two men watched in amusement from the kitchen doorway, shaking their heads at the other three. They have to talk to Yuffie about teaching their boys bad words… at another time.

--

I told you I would update, didn't I? Thank you for those that reviewed and faved.

Also, I need a beta for this story and another Naruto one. Anyone willing to help?


	13. Books

13. Books

You wouldn't think she'd be the type to read. No, she has too much energy for such a still and stable activity. To think that the hyper Yuffie would do anything less than run or jump or even _fly_ for miles is too outlandish for those who don't know her well.

Which is why it surprises you now to see her curled up by the window, eyebrows furrowed in concentration so deep she doesn't hear your entrance. The library is the last place you'd thought you would see her. It is why you came here; it is why this is your sanctuary though you haven't reached out for its comfort in what seems like ages.

She has the longest crush on you. From childhood into the levels of higher education, it feels like her affection for you would never end. You spent so many years brushing her off, paying no more attention to her than the birds chirping outside the window. It is now that you realize it. The absence of her attentions, previously unnoticed, but crashing onto you like waves on a shore. When was the last time she asked for you? When was the last time she called out to you?

A week, a month, a year ago? It's been so long you can't even measure the time from when her presence last occurred in your life.

It grips your heart now. You don't love the girl, but you would never hurt her. Never. She's too dear. She's your neighbor from long ago. She's your friend from childhood. She's the one constant in your life. The girls you dated came and went in a constant flow, but her. Not her. Without fail she would be there, ready to smile brightness into your life.

It is then you realize that you've loved her all along. The cool beauties or the fiery personalities you thought you preferred didn't hold a candle to her light. It is then you begin to ponder: is it too late now?

You take a step. The parallel shelves of the bookcases outline your route. She's only a few feet away, but it feels like a lifetime to get to her.

Your feelings rush, a spring running up and breaking through rock and soil. Had you always thought about her this way? Her unchanged hairstyle, her unchanged body, unchanged everything. It gives you a comfort that had always been there. You start picking up the subtle evidence of her maturity.

Her clothing, a cool and darker palette, so much different from her previous orange and green ensemble. When had she changed her signature look? Her mouth is relaxed. It's not the big, boisterous grin you were used to nor is it the trembling frown when she's about to cry. Have you ever seen such a neutral expression on her face?

It both hurts and excites you. These minute changes in her essence, bits and pieces that changed her... how had they slipped past your notice? But they're also exciting, maybe now- with your feelings confirmed in your head and this new, yet the old, Yuffie- maybe now you are compatible. Perhaps it is now to give her a chance.

You take another step.

"Hey," a soft voice comes from down the other aisle. It's Sora. You don't know him very well. You just know that he's the upstart freshman that everyone loves. You can't really say you have a strong opinion of him, but as you see the little twerp kiss Yuffie's attentions away from her book you feel you might set him on fire.

"Hey," she replies softly back. Sora backs away from his peck but Yuffie shoots a hand to the back of his head. A longer, more intimate kiss. Your blood boils yet you can't bring yourself to do anything. You can't shout; you can't even manage a whisper. So your blindsided anger simmers within your frozen figure.

Sora sits opposite her at the window sill, his own book in hand. They look to their books, intent on reading together. It isn't long before they give up the pretense and cast their books aside. Their hands glide on each other's bodies with practiced motions. So personal and so intimate- it makes you wonder. How long has this been going on?

You wonder some more as Riku enters the scene, the opposite aisle from where Sora appeared. Now it's someone you have a higher esteem for. Riku's neutral face gives nothing away. In your head, you urge him to yell at the two. To yell at them for defiling the sacred sanctuary of your library. For dismissing you so easily for such a young slip of a boy. He is nothing compared to you. And you catch the horrible spiral of your own thoughts.

As you mentally berate yourself for acting to juvenile: standing and staring in the middle of the book aisle, blaming a girl for moving on when you have no one to blame but yourself. Shame fills the gaps your anger leaves behind.

Riku bends down to kiss Yuffie, harsher and a little more violent than Sora's sweet kiss.

You can't breathe you're so shocked.

The two separate with a heaving breath and Riku claps a hand on Sora's shoulder. What's going on? At first she was with Sora, but she is also with Riku and- you can't. You can't. You can't wrap your head around this newfound discovery.

"Let's go home."

You're not sure who said it. It could have been any of them. Riku takes Yuffie's books and adds to the pile he was carrying. Sora takes his own as he gets up with Yuffie. The three hold hands, Yuffie in the middle. They walk to the exit, blissfully unaware of your witnessing.

The sound of a door closing shut echoes throughout the library and it jolts you into motion. Hesitant and unsure, you sit at the window sill where Yuffie was just moments before. There's a hole in your heart, and you can't even remember the book you came here for.

–-

Even after all these years, I still hate Leon to death.


End file.
